The conservative Free Press editorial page of The Chattanooga Times Free Press endorsed Bill Lee in the Republican gubernatorial race on Friday, the first day of early voting.
Clint Cooper, the Free Press page editor, said Tennessee Republicans have an “embarrassment of riches” in their primary, with four of six candidates being both competitive and conservative with “diverse backgrounds and unique strengths.”
Cooper cites Lee’s background as a business owner and farmer and having an outsider’s perspective on politics.
“We also appreciate that he has chosen not to be involved in what seems like daily negative campaign exchanges between perceived front-runners Randy Boyd, a Knoxville businessman whose ideas we also very much admire, and U.S. Rep. Diane Black,” Cooper said.
He continued, “Although recent independent polls on the campaign have been few, the man who terms himself the ‘conservative outsider’ appears to have momentum in the race. We hope that will allow voters who originally considered Boyd or Black to take a look at the seventh-generation Tennessean.”
Lee announced the endorsement in a press release on Friday.
The Chattanooga Times Free Press publishes the liberal Times and conservative Free Press editorial pages, a tribute to the city’s journalism heritage when there were competing newspapers.
[…] endorsement from Congressman Wamp, a Chattanooga Republican, comes after last week’s endorsement from the conservative Free Press editorial page at The Chattanooga Times Free […]
So their entire endorsement is based on the fact he hasnt run negative ads? That is IT? And, regardless of zero policies, they are taking his word that he is conservative? Pathetic BUT just another ETN rinoesque endorsement.
What the endorsement, and this article, does not mention is that Bill Lee distinguishes himself from the others (save, perhaps, for Beth Harwell) by his advocacy for smaller, more efficient government and for that government to be closer to the people, versus centralized in Nashville and DC. It aims to provide relief for those rural counties that are distressed or at risk while simultaneously reducing the size of the political machine in Nashville and, to a lesser extent, the other major metropolitan areas. This is, of course, deeply loathsome to big government RINO’s and to globalists.
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Bill Lee I like what you are saying , you have my vote !
Lee is an empty vessel just waiting to be filled. Today he has his polls and his campaign manager to interpret the polls. Wonder who will fill the role of his campaign manager if we should elect him?
I can accept wondering about my County Trustee, Governor not so much. No wondering about Diane Black with her long record of tepid conservatism as recorded by Heritage and the Club For Growth. If enough of you are feelin’ lucky and make Lee the most likely to defeat Randy!, however, Lee it will be when I vote on August 2nd. ANYBODY BUT BOYD!
This guy lost any credibility when he praised Randy Boyd for his “ideas”.
He only lost credibility with you because he didn’t bash Boyd like DC Diane is doing. Being able to find something good to say, about even a smuck, is a skill many people lack. To many, including myself, Bill Lee’s staying above the “mud fight” elevates him! If a candidate for a leadership position can’t stand on their accomplishments, their positions and their beliefs, they will make a horrible leader!
More to this topic of this article, endorsements might sound great, but I don’t really care about the opinion of some individual or small group of individuals. I make my own decisions based on my own research.
One of the most interesting aspects of having Bill Lee as our next Governor is this point. Great leaders are people who will not ask someone to do something that they themselves would not or could not do! The fact that Bill Lee, a degreed mechanical engineer, would put in the time and effort to become a Master Plumber/Pipe Fitter is noteworthy. So he can talk the talk, and he walks the walk!